snappy

American  

[snap-ee] / ˈsnæp i /

adjective

snappier, snappiest

1. apt to snap or bite; snappish, as a dog.

2. impatient or irritable, as a person or a reply.

3. snapping or crackling in sound, as a fire.

4. quick or sudden in action or performance.

5. Informal. crisp, smart, lively, brisk, etc..

   Only snappy people get ahead in this world.

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idioms

1. make it snappy, to speed up; hurry.

snappy British  

/ ˈsnæpɪ /

adjective

1. Also: snappish.  apt to speak sharply or irritably

2. Also: snappish.  apt to snap or bite

3. crackling in sound

   a snappy fire

4. brisk, sharp, or chilly

   a snappy pace

   snappy weather

5. smart and fashionable

   a snappy dresser

6. slang be quick! hurry up!

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snappy More Idioms  

1. see under make haste.

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Other Word Forms

• snappily
  adverb
• snappiness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of snappy

First recorded in 1740–50; snap + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Craig Robinson joins the cast as Atlas, a cheerful talking GPS hippo toy, and Ernie Hudson arrives as Combat Carl, alongside Shelby Rabara as Snappy, an excitable toy camera.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

Snappy tweeter Chelsea Clinton — former first daughter and heir apparent to the Clinton legacy — covers a lot of ground on her social media timeline.

From Washington Post • Oct. 17, 2017

We had always been so close and yet here we were, in a car on the way home from Snappy Snaps, canyons apart.

From The Guardian • Nov. 5, 2016

Fritzi Dog's Snappy O'Brien dog was basically a hot dog atop a bun and smashed tater tots.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2016

Snappy start to a sentence, Bozo — we just need to find a story to fit it —” “Trying to ruin someone else’s life?” said Harry loudly.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling